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One behalf of the conservation groups listed below and the sportsmen and women of Georgia, we are writing
to ask for fairness in support of the Wildlife Management Area system and affiliated public lands.
In these difficult financial times, you are faced with difficult financial decisions, including proposals from
DNR that would seriously reduce support for these important and popular lands.
For decades, financial support for these WMA lands has come exclusively from only one user group by way
of the fees they pay for use of these public lands. Yet use of these lands has always been free to everyone else
for all other purposes. Sportsmen alone have borne this financial burden.
A recent poll conducted by GONetwork showed overwhelming support from sportsmen for the creation of a
two-tiered fee that would charge all users for use of the property. Sportsmen agree that a higher fee can be
charged to sportsmen, but also strongly support the notion that all users should contribute in some direct way to
the continuation of their use of these WMA lands.
Currently, the fees paid by those who hunt and fish are being spent to fix the roads and pick up trash from
those who use the areas for purposes other than hunting and fishing.
Sportsmen are users of these lands and expect to pay their share of the cost to secure this important system.
But sportsmen, as the name implies, believe in fairness. It is not fair that sportsmen pay the cost for other users
to enjoy this land.
Today, the WMA stamp is the only financial stream dedicated to support this system of public lands. The
creation of two stamps has been suggested; a non-consumptive-use-only stamp and a more expensive stamp that
permits all use — a WMA-lite stamp and a WMA stamp. The WMA-lite stamp would be considerably less
expensive than the standard WMA stamp, but could keep these lands open to all.
This all-users-pay notion is supported by nine out of 10 sportsmen, and the general public understands the
need for these user fees. These fees already are collected at state parks, Georgia Power parks and ramps, and
federal boat ramps.
The undersigned believe that the WMA system deserves to be supported, and that fairness requires that all
users contribute to the financial viability of the system. We ask your support in establishing this fairness and in
protecting this important state asset.
Thank you for your attention and help in this effort.
Sincerely,
GONetwork
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